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Who Can We Change?

Seth posted a great list of questions every entrepreneur should ask themselves before they launch something. We’ve already launched years ago, but I went through the exercise of answering them anyway.

He warns against the danger of tweaking the answers (or the meaning of the questions) to suit our beliefs. If it looks like I’ve done that here, call me on it.

I want Someday Box to be the place you come to gain the belief that you, yes you, can write a book. If I’m not being honest with myself, that’s not honest with you.

Here they are:

Who do we want to change?People who wish they could write a book but believe that they never will, or even, that they can’t.What does she already believe?Authors are “special” either because they were born with a gene for art, or because they’re connected, or they’re lucky. Authors have special training and skills. Authors can spell and they know grammar. They know exactly what they want to write, and will type out the final print copy as their first draft.What is she afraid of?That it’s possible, and she’ll never figure out how; OR, that she’ll spend time and money she can’t afford and end up with a thousand unsold copies of a bad book on a pallette in the garage.What does she think she wants?A traditional publishing deal.What does she actually want?The joy of seeing her name on the cover of her very own book, and one single sale to a total stranger.What stories have resonated with her in the past?Indie musicians who made it on their own. Lana Turner being discovered at a soda fountain. JK Rowling’s “overnight” success.Who does she follow and emulate and look up to?Seth Godin, Tom Peters, Malcolm Gladwell, Jonah LehrerWhat is her relationship with money?She’s no spendthrift, but she’s willing to spend money on her dream just as she’d spend it on a glorious vacation, or an extravagant gift for a loved one.What channel has her permission? Where do messages that resonate with her come from? Who does she trust and who does she pay attention to?People who’ve already proven themselves open-minded, willing to put effort into thinking, and generous.What is the source of her urgency—why will she change now rather than later?She’s been waiting forever. When she discovers that it’s possible, right now, she’s start working on it, right now.After she has changed, what will she tell her friends?She wrote a book. She’s finally a “real author.” And she couldn’t, wouldn’t have done it, without Someday Box.